Legal Showdown: Senatorial Hopeful Sues Party, INEC Over Nomination Fees

A senatorial aspirant, Isaac Nwachukwu, has filed a lawsuit against the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before a Federal High Court in Owerri, Imo State. The suit, filed on Wednesday through his counsel, C.J Oguzie, alleges that the party executives failed to field him as the candidate for Imo North senatorial district, despite his emergence as a consensus candidate.

Nwachukwu claims he was denied the party’s Imo North senatorial ticket after being asked to pay N5 million for the nomination form. He further stated that he paid N20 million as a monetary contribution in support of the party's growth, transferring the sum into the party’s FCMB account. However, he noted an irregularity when the list of party supporters was published, showing his N20 million support reduced to N10 million.

According to Nwachukwu’s affidavit, the first sign of non-compliance with the NDC constitution and electoral act arose when his N20 million payment for party support was allocated to another aspirant for his senatorial district, Matthew Omegara. Concurrently, N10 million that Matthew Omegara paid for party support was allocated to Nwachukwu by the screening committee, which was headed by Sam Egwu and Buba Galadimma.

Despite these anomalies, Nwachukwu stated that he complied with NDC directives, participated in the screening exercise, and was successfully cleared as an aspirant to partake in the primary election. He asserts that after his consensus candidacy was ratified, his name was shortlisted as the candidate for the Imo North district, and he was subsequently declared the winner of the primary election. However, his name was later substituted with Omegara's.

Nwachukwu detailed that the National leader of the party, Seriake Dickson, summoned him for a meeting. During this meeting, Dickson allegedly informed him that a former governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa, had complained through Peter Obi that he did not know Nwachukwu and thus, Nwachukwu should not be fielded as the party’s candidate for Imo North senatorial district.

In his legal action, Nwachukwu is seeking several reliefs from the court. He prays for a declaration that he be recognized as the standard bearer of the party for the Imo North senatorial district during the general elections. Specifically, he seeks a declaration that he is the consensus candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress for the Imo North senatorial zone in the 2027 General Election. He also seeks a declaration restraining the first defendant (Nigeria Democratic Congress) from fielding any candidate other than himself in the General Election for the Imo North senatorial zone, as he is the consensus candidate. Furthermore, he prays for a declaration that the second defendant (Independent National Electoral Commission) be perpetually restrained from recognizing and accepting the candidacy of any other person except himself in the Imo North senatorial zone election, pending the determination of the matter. Finally, Nwachukwu wants the court to order the NDC to issue him the certificate of return as its candidate for the Imo North senatorial district.